The invention relates generally to collector devices structured to collect, gather or retrieve small three-dimensional objects dispersed on a surface, such as the ground or floor. More particularly, the invention relates to such devices that are handheld and that comprise a discharge or ejection mechanism for releasing or removing the small objects from the device.
There are situations where it is desired or necessary to gather up a large number of small objects that have been spread on the ground or another surface, such as for example, nuts that have dropped from pecan trees, golf balls on a practice range, shell casings at a shooting range, etc. Picking up each object by hand is time-consuming and uncomfortable, as the worker must stoop or kneel to retrieve the objects. With shell casings or other objects, it may be desirable to avoid skin contact due to toxic, corrosive or irritating residues present on the objects. A number of tools have been developed to make gathering the small objects a less arduous task, some of which are relatively large devices often towed behind motorized vehicles and some of which are handheld. One type of handheld device involves a collector assembly mounted onto a long handle, the collector assembly comprising a plurality of bales or wires that spread apart when pushed onto one or more object and then return to a close proximity to entrap the object within the collector assembly. Examples of these and similar devices are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,736,157 to Weathersby, U.S. Pat. No. 2,788,630 to Nisbet, U.S. Pat. No. 2,972,851 to Goehring, U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,071 to Laughlin, U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,953 to Luther, Sr., U.S. Pat. No. 6,470,618 to White, U.S. Pat. No. 6,925,791 to Herndon, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,698,882 to Tinlin.
These devices do not provide optimal mechanisms for retrieving or for ejecting the objects. For example, the wires or bales may be permanently deformed after a large number of uses if the device is pressed onto an excessively large object. Some devices do not possess mechanisms for ejecting the objects that have been retrieved. Some devices are not adjustable in order to accommodate different sized objects.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved handheld collector device for gathering small objects dispersed on a ground or floor surface, the device also having an ejection mechanism for easily and quickly releasing the objects from the device. It is a further object to provide such an improved handheld collector that is modular in construction such that the device can be easily adapted or reconfigured to correspond to the particular size of the objects being gathered, or to replace individual components that have been damaged.